Naomi Osaka reached her first Grand Slam semi-final with a dominant victory over Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko at the US Open.

The 20-year-old dropped just two games winning 6-1 6-1 against her unseeded opponent in 58 minutes.

She becomes the first Japanese woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Kimiko Date at Wimbledon in 1996.

“I was freaking out inside,” Osaka said. “My entire body was shaking, so I’m glad I was able to play well.”

The Japanese player also explained, during her on-court interview, why she did not celebrate after the winning point.

“The other time I cried a little bit [after the win over Aryna Sabalenka] and there was a lot of people making fun of me,” the Indian Wells champion said.

• Nadal beats Thiem in five-set epic
• Del Potro beats Isner to reach semi-finals
• Williams fights back to reach last four

Both Osaka and Tsurenko were competing in their first Slam quarter-final but the Ukrainian failed to settle and looked physically drained on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Osaka, who is regarded as one of the best young players in the game, broke in Tsurenko’s first service game and powered to the first set in 26 minutes before racing into a 4-0 lead in the second set.

Tsurenko then held serve and brought up three break points in the following game but failed to convert and double-faulted twice in the final game to hand Osaka victory.

The Ukrainian said that poor health meant she was not in peak condition for the match.

“I just woke up with a viral illness or whatever it is,” the 29-year-old said. “I don’t know what happened, but my throat is not well. I’m not breathing well.”

Osaka will play American Madison Keys or Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in the last four.

US President Donald Trump has criticised sportswear company Nike following its decision to use Colin Kaepernick as the face of a new campaign.

Kaepernick was the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem to highlight racial injustice.

But critics have burned Nike trainers and clothing in protest at the decision to use Kaepernick in a campaign.

“Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts,” Trump said.

“I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way?” he added in a tweet.

The president also continued his previous criticism of the NFL, saying: ” As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!”

• #JustBurnIt – Nike suffers backlash over ad campaign
• Williams fights back to reach semi-finals

Trump’s criticism came after tennis star Serena Williams – who is also part of the Nike campaign to mark the 30th anniversary of its ‘Just Do It’ slogan – praised the company’s move.

Speaking after her defeat of Karolina Pliskova in the US Open, Williams called the decision to use Kaepernick a “powerful statement to a lot of other companies”.

Williams said of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick: “He’s done a lot for the African-American community, and it’s cost him a lot.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who is sponsored by Nike, added: “Having a huge company back him could be a controversial reason for this company, but they’re not afraid.

“It’s sad. But he continues to do the best that he can to support.”

After Nike unveiled the campaign, Williams tweeted that she was “especially proud to be a part of the Nike family”.

Critics on Twitter used the hashtag #JustBurnIt – a play on Nike’s slogan ‘Just Do It’ – which trended alongside #BoycottNike.

In announcing the deal, Nike said Kaepernick – who has been out of a contract since March 2017 and has failed to find a new team – was “one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation”.

The NFL said it “embraces the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities”.

Kaepernick, who watched Williams’ third-round win over sister Venus at Flushing Meadows, has filed a grievance against NFL team owners he claims conspired not to hire him because of his protests.

• Kaepernick: From one man kneeling to a movement dividing a country

Defending champion Rafael Nadal dug deep to win the longest match of this year’s US Open in a classic five-set quarter-final against Dominic Thiem – which finished at 2:03am local time.

World number one Nadal lost the opening set 6-0 after being outpowered by the Austrian ninth seed in New York.

However, the 32-year-old Spanish top seed recovered to lead two sets to one before Thiem levelled in a tie-break.

Nadal edged a tense fifth-set tie-break to win 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5).

The 17-time Grand Slam champion clinched victory when Thiem hit an overhead smash long on the first match point, the drama continuing until the last shot in an epic encounter lasting four hours and 49 minutes.

Nadal jumped over the net to console his Austrian opponent at the end, the pair embracing as those left inside Arthur Ashe Stadium rose to their feet to give them a thunderous ovation.

“I said to Dominic: ‘I’m very sorry and keep going.’ He has plenty of time to win. He will have his chances in the future without a doubt,” Nadal said.

Asked about how got through the tense moments, Nadal added: “Suffering is the right word. It was a great battle.”

He will play Argentine third seed Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champion, in Friday’s semi-finals.

“It is good to have two days that probably give me the chance to be 100% in the semi-finals,” Nadal added.

• Del Potro beats Isner to reach semi-finals
• Williams fights back to reach last four
• Federer needs to play more tournaments – Cash
• Djokovic targets 12th US Open semi-final

Thiem fails to gain revenge

Thiem was aiming to earn a measure of revenge over Nadal, who dismantled his game for a straightforward victory in the French Open final in June – the Austrian’s only appearance in a Grand Slam showpiece.

Ultimately, he faced more disappointment against one of the sport’s all-time great fighters.

Eventually Nadal’s endurance came out on top in this match, which was his 17th at a Grand Slam to go past the four-hour mark.

In contrast, 25-year-old Thiem had never previously gone past the four-hour mark in his whole career.

Neither player outwardly showed signs of fatigue as they continued to trade blows deep into a high-octane match.

Stylish and powerful winners continued to flow from the racquets of both players until the end, despite the match entering an energy-sapping fifth hour in hot and humid conditions at Flushing Meadows.

Despite the drama, the 24,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium was only about a third full when the match concluded under the lights, with many fans needing to leave early to get home.

Those who were left were treated to a tense final-set tie-break, which proved to be a fitting end to a great match.

“This match is going to be stuck in my mind forever – tennis is cruel sometimes,” Thiem said.

“This match didn’t deserve a loser, but there has to be one.”

Nadal ultimately digests rare ‘bagel’

Thiem has gained a reputation as one of the most powerful players on the men’s tour, with Nadal identifying his thunderous groundstrokes as the danger before their last-eight tie.

And Thiem came out swinging against Nadal in a 24-minute opening set which left the packed crowd inside Ashe stunned.

Nadal had faced two gruelling matches against Karen Khachanov and Nikoloz Basilashvili coming into the quarter-final, and Thiem was keen to test his energy levels from the start.

Potent off both flanks, Thiem hit 13 winners and fired down five aces to comprehensively win the first set.

Nadal won just seven points as he was ‘bagelled’ for the first time at the US Open since a second-round defeat by American second seed Andy Roddick in 2004.

Thiem’s comeback in vain

After that aggressive start, the question was whether Thiem could sustain his intensity over a longer period.

Thiem refused to entertain a different tactical approach and continued to go for broke – a risk and reward strategy which, although he did maintain, ultimately did not pay off in the cruellest of circumstances.

Nadal rediscovered his service game in the second set, levelling by going on to take two of three straight breaks at the end of the set as both players wobbled.

In the periods where Thiem’s powerful groundstrokes were finding their target, Nadal was in trouble.

But more unforced errors were beginning to creep into Thiem’s game – and at crucial times.

He showed both brilliance and naivety in a tight fourth set where he twice fought back from 40-15 down on serve and won just one of seven break points, eventually taking the tie-break to force a decider.

Thiem twice more had to recover from break-point deficits on his serve in the fifth, deservedly taking the match to the sudden-death finish it deserved.

Thiem won 171 points in the match, five more than Nadal, and hit 74 winners compared to 55 by the Spaniard.

“If we skip the first set it was an open match from beginning to the end,” Thiem added.

“Then it ends up in the fifth set tie break and he made one more point than me.”

• Live scores, schedule and results
• Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone

Serena Williams passed her toughest test so far at the US Open to beat Karolina Pliskova and reach the semi-finals for a ninth consecutive time.

Williams, seeded 17th, trailed 4-2 in the first set but hit back to win 6-4 6-3 against the Czech eighth seed.

The American, 36, is seeking her first Grand Slam trophy since giving birth to daughter Olympia last September.

If she wins it would be her 24th major title – equalling Australian Margaret Court’s all-time record.

“The crowd was really rooting for me and I felt so bad because everyone out here was cheering and I wasn’t winning so I thought I had to try harder,” said Williams.

“I really feel like right now I’m playing free. I was having a baby this time last year so I have nothing to prove.”

Williams faces Latvia’s 19th seed Anastasija Sevastova, who knocked out defending champion Sloane Stephens earlier on Tuesday, in the last four on Thursday.

• Relive Williams’ win over Pliskova
• Champion Stephens knocked out of US Open
• Federer needs to play more tournaments – Cash
• Djokovic targets 12th US semi-final – day 10 preview

Crowd helps Serena turn match around

Williams is only playing her eighth tournament since becoming a mum, but had only dropped one set – in her last-16 match against Latvia’s Kaia Kanepi – on her way to the last eight.

However, having lost to Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final, there were question marks how she would fare against another high-calibre player.

After a slow start against the big-serving former number one, Williams grew into the match as she responded to some vociferous backing from Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The six-time US champion won eight games in a row – four at the end of the first and four at the start of the second – to help her secure victory in one hour 26 minutes.

It was her first win over a top-10 ranked player since beating Britain’s Johanna Konta at the 2017 Australian Open.

• Live scores, schedule and results

Pliskova left to rue missed chances

Williams suffered a chastening defeat by Pliskova, who had a brief spell as world number one last year, when they last met each other in the 2016 US Open semi-finals.

And it looked like she could face more trouble when 26-year-old Pliskova threatened to go a double break up in the first set.

The tall Czech was unable to convert either for a 4-2 lead with her service game next – and that was the momentum-changing moment in what had promised to be an engrossing match.

Williams upped her number of winners as Pliskova’s unforced error count grew, a pattern which continued in the early part of the second set.

Little danger seemed apparent for Williams when Pliskova clawed one break back for 4-1, only for the tension to grow when the world number eight moved 40-0 ahead on the American’s serve in the seventh game.

Williams responded with some huge serving to see off four break points, averting danger for a 5-2 lead and allowing her to wrap up victory in her next service game.

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